Speeches Shim
I am Ts'epang Maboee, a 21- year- old, born and bred in Mafeteng district, Lesotho. We (my three beautiful sisters and I) were raised by a single mother. Our father passed away when I was only a year and a few months. I didn't get the chance to really know him. At the age of 10, my mother also passed away, and her death left us in misery. My maternal grandmother always persuaded me to go and get tested for HIV after my mother’s death, but I was reluctant because I didn't understand why she was so concerned. On December 12, 2012, I finally decided to get tested for HIV. Well, I must admit, I wasn't nervous because I knew I had not engaged in any sexual activities. I was told while growing up that someone can only get infected with HIV if they had engaged in sexual activities with an infected person.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Karabo-ea-Bophelo (KB) project in Lesotho remains committed to continuing essential HIV prevention and treatment services for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) and their caregivers, while maintaining a safe healthcare environment for KB staff. In order to meet this commitment, HIV services were adapted to virtual programming, where participants were reached using Radio, TV, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Additionally, caseworkers and social workers started calling participants on the phone where children could be exposed to social and economic challenges.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has declared 2020 the Year of Plant Health. To mark the occasion, the Feed the Future Southern Africa Seed Trade Project (Seed Trade Project) is celebrating the most critical of all farm inputs in agricultural production, the key to increased productivity – the seed.
Countries around the world have been under lockdown for weeks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Lesotho is no exception. However, even in times of restricted movement, USAID’s projects funded through the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have been working non-stop to ensure that clients are well informed about available health services available for continuity of care.
Liziwe Gece is one of two Eastern Cape provincial coordinators for USAID’s Tuberculosis South Africa Project. She works in the O.R. Tambo district to bring information and much-needed assistance to the district’s health care system so those affected by TB and HIV have access to effective treatment.
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